You could make the argument that it doesn’t matter if you're obese. Your time on earth is less important than your eternal salvation. God certainly loves you as you are.
In Heaven, your knees and back won’t hurt due to obesity, and you won’t have diabetes or high blood pressure. So, why stress about your being overweight now?
You could even argue that God doesn’t require you to be slim. Nowhere in the Bible does it say, “If thou beest pudgy, thou mustest curtail thine consumption of donuts.” God certainly mentions that you should avoid gluttony, but He doesn’t say that you’re obligated to lose weight once you gain it.
However, think about the other side of the coin. While you’re on earth, God wants you to feel joy, and it’s hard to feel joy when your joints hurt, when you’re physically or emotionally ill with the consequences of obesity, or when you suffer financially due to medical bills generated by your extra weight. Obesity robs you of the joy you could have while on earth.
Furthermore, aren't you supposed to be the hands, feet, eyes, ears and mouth of God and do His work on earth? How are you supposed to BE those things when you’re bogged down with the miserable emotional and physical consequences of obesity?
God loves you exactly as you are. This is true. However, He also loves you to much to leave you that way. Let Him heal you deep-down of the emotional and other non-physical reasons why you eat, so you can shed the extra, unneeded weight that robs you of your joy in this “blink-of-an-eye” window of time that you’re on earth. Then, you get the best of BOTH worlds.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
You Deserve a Break Today?
Take a look at these current and past McDonalds slogans and see if you can find the buried messages that lead you to eat when you're not physically hungry. You might interpret the messages slightly differently from me, and that's okay. I doubt there's a single right answer for what emotions or thoughts the company is trying to evoke in us.
As I see it, the messages try to evoke in us a sense that we are "missing something"...such as happiness, belonging, and physical well-being. At the same time, the messages broadcast that their food will solve our problems and give us a sense of belonging, energy, and joy.
Current McDonalds coffee slogan (shown on a billboard with a fancy coffee drink with whipped cream and drizzled chocolate):
"Instant Frown Remover."
What does this add really say? "You may or may not have noticed, but you're not very happy right now. Here's the solution: just have a cup of our fancy coffee and you'll find real happiness."
Look at these past McDonalds Slogans and see if you can figure out their hidden messages. Then, in the paragraph that follows, you can read my interpretation of what these slogans really project:
1. You deserve a break today (1971-1975, 1988, 1989-90, )
2. Nobody makes your day like McDonald's can (1980-1983)
3. McDonald's is your place to be (1986)
4. Good time, great taste (1988-1990)
5. Food, folks and fun (1990-1991)
6. What you want is what you get (1992-1995)
7. Have you had your break today? (1995-1997)
8. My McDonald's (1997)
9. Did somebody say McDonald's? (1997-2000)
10. We love to see you smile (2000-2003)
11. Put a Smile On (2000-2003)
12. Smile (2001-2003)
13. It's what I eat and what I do
14. I'm lovin' it
What do these slogans tell you? Below, you'll find what I think the above slogans broadcast. Each numbered item below corresponds to the same number above.
1. Food restores you when you're physically or emotionally tired.
2. People can't please you, but our food can.
3. If you lack a sense of belonging, come to our restaurant. We'll be your friend.
4. We love to party and we want you to join us.
5. Food is for recreation.
6. You may have little control in life, but when you order our food, you have TOTAL CONTROL OVER YOUR DESTINY!
7. Surely, you must be tired...but don't rest.....EAT!
8. You own us so you're not such a loser, afterall.
9. The sound of food! That should be enough to make you eat!
10. We want to make you happy (just buy our food).
11. Food equals happiness.
12. Our food makes you happy.
13. Eating food at McDonalds gives you an identity.
14. You'll be happy if you eat at McDonalds!
I hope this article (and my book, The Eden Diet) made you a little more critical of advertising messages. You must learn to recognize these hidden advertising messages so that you can reject them. You need to be vigilant and pay attention, because the Enemy prowls around like a roaring lion....waiting for YOU to devour!
As I see it, the messages try to evoke in us a sense that we are "missing something"...such as happiness, belonging, and physical well-being. At the same time, the messages broadcast that their food will solve our problems and give us a sense of belonging, energy, and joy.
Current McDonalds coffee slogan (shown on a billboard with a fancy coffee drink with whipped cream and drizzled chocolate):
"Instant Frown Remover."
What does this add really say? "You may or may not have noticed, but you're not very happy right now. Here's the solution: just have a cup of our fancy coffee and you'll find real happiness."
Look at these past McDonalds Slogans and see if you can figure out their hidden messages. Then, in the paragraph that follows, you can read my interpretation of what these slogans really project:
1. You deserve a break today (1971-1975, 1988, 1989-90, )
2. Nobody makes your day like McDonald's can (1980-1983)
3. McDonald's is your place to be (1986)
4. Good time, great taste (1988-1990)
5. Food, folks and fun (1990-1991)
6. What you want is what you get (1992-1995)
7. Have you had your break today? (1995-1997)
8. My McDonald's (1997)
9. Did somebody say McDonald's? (1997-2000)
10. We love to see you smile (2000-2003)
11. Put a Smile On (2000-2003)
12. Smile (2001-2003)
13. It's what I eat and what I do
14. I'm lovin' it
What do these slogans tell you? Below, you'll find what I think the above slogans broadcast. Each numbered item below corresponds to the same number above.
1. Food restores you when you're physically or emotionally tired.
2. People can't please you, but our food can.
3. If you lack a sense of belonging, come to our restaurant. We'll be your friend.
4. We love to party and we want you to join us.
5. Food is for recreation.
6. You may have little control in life, but when you order our food, you have TOTAL CONTROL OVER YOUR DESTINY!
7. Surely, you must be tired...but don't rest.....EAT!
8. You own us so you're not such a loser, afterall.
9. The sound of food! That should be enough to make you eat!
10. We want to make you happy (just buy our food).
11. Food equals happiness.
12. Our food makes you happy.
13. Eating food at McDonalds gives you an identity.
14. You'll be happy if you eat at McDonalds!
I hope this article (and my book, The Eden Diet) made you a little more critical of advertising messages. You must learn to recognize these hidden advertising messages so that you can reject them. You need to be vigilant and pay attention, because the Enemy prowls around like a roaring lion....waiting for YOU to devour!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Is it Really Sugar-Free? Or Diet?
Even if the food marketers don't overtly mislead you, your own assumptions might mislead you. Case in point: a macaroon recipe on the back of Wal-mart's "Altern" brand sucralose sugar substitute package. Some people might think that because you add sucralose rather than table sugar to the macaroons, the cookies must be "sugar-free."
To the marketers' credit, this recipe is not labelled sugar-free. It's you, the consumer, who might mistakenly assume the macaroons are sugar-free. As long as you don't personally put granulated sugar in the bowl, it seems that you're not adding sugar. But, don't forget about all the hidden sugar in the main ingredient--that store-brand sweetened flaked coconut!
I suppose the "Altern" marketers could have called that macaroon recipe "reduced sugar," in the title, but then, they would have drawn attention to the fact that the cookies are not entirely sugar-free. They must figure it's better to not say anything and let the consumers assume what they will.
If you really want to make the recipe sugar-free, as I do for my diabetic husband, then get creative. Substitute unsweetened, dried coconut in place of the usual grocery-store coconut. You can find that unsweetened coconut at the health food store. If you do that, consider adding a little water and a whole lot more sucralose to reconstitute the dried coconut and make it more like the sticky, sweetened kind. It works better in the recipe. Trust me--I've fiddled with this recipe a bit.
Why am I telling you this? I generally don't like to dwell on food and recipes. However, we live in the real world. Some of us either are diabetic or cook for diabetics, and some of us have medical reasons to cut down on our sugar consumption.
Do you want another tip when using sucralose? My type one diabetic friend who happens to have a PhD in physiology told me to add a tiny bit of real sugar to the sucralose recipes. It boosts the sweetness of sucralose and seems to reduce its weird, bitter after-taste.
What about the calorie count of these luscious little coconut gems? It's HIGH! Even sugar-free macaroons are loaded with fat because coconut (even unsweetened coconut) is high in fat. So, make sure you're hungry before you eat those cookies and eat only one or two (with thanksgiving and to the glory of God).
In summary, you can't always blame the advertisers, though, in my opinion, many of them are downright unscrupulous. Sometimes, it's your own assumptions about food and recipes that get you into trouble. So, pay attention. Be critical of any recipe that you think is sugar-free or fat-free.
To the marketers' credit, this recipe is not labelled sugar-free. It's you, the consumer, who might mistakenly assume the macaroons are sugar-free. As long as you don't personally put granulated sugar in the bowl, it seems that you're not adding sugar. But, don't forget about all the hidden sugar in the main ingredient--that store-brand sweetened flaked coconut!
I suppose the "Altern" marketers could have called that macaroon recipe "reduced sugar," in the title, but then, they would have drawn attention to the fact that the cookies are not entirely sugar-free. They must figure it's better to not say anything and let the consumers assume what they will.
If you really want to make the recipe sugar-free, as I do for my diabetic husband, then get creative. Substitute unsweetened, dried coconut in place of the usual grocery-store coconut. You can find that unsweetened coconut at the health food store. If you do that, consider adding a little water and a whole lot more sucralose to reconstitute the dried coconut and make it more like the sticky, sweetened kind. It works better in the recipe. Trust me--I've fiddled with this recipe a bit.
Why am I telling you this? I generally don't like to dwell on food and recipes. However, we live in the real world. Some of us either are diabetic or cook for diabetics, and some of us have medical reasons to cut down on our sugar consumption.
Do you want another tip when using sucralose? My type one diabetic friend who happens to have a PhD in physiology told me to add a tiny bit of real sugar to the sucralose recipes. It boosts the sweetness of sucralose and seems to reduce its weird, bitter after-taste.
What about the calorie count of these luscious little coconut gems? It's HIGH! Even sugar-free macaroons are loaded with fat because coconut (even unsweetened coconut) is high in fat. So, make sure you're hungry before you eat those cookies and eat only one or two (with thanksgiving and to the glory of God).
In summary, you can't always blame the advertisers, though, in my opinion, many of them are downright unscrupulous. Sometimes, it's your own assumptions about food and recipes that get you into trouble. So, pay attention. Be critical of any recipe that you think is sugar-free or fat-free.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Finding Happiness at the Buffet?
"Help yourself to happiness!" That's the new advertising slogan of Golden Corral, a popular chain of buffet restaurants.
Awww, shucks. I'm really moved. Golden Corral cares about my happiness.
Please forgive me if I sound ungrateful, but I reject this message. By suggesting that I can find happiness through its buffet line, the restaurant mistakenly assumes that I must be unhappy to begin with. People who are already happy don't need to look for happiness, right? They already have it. Only people who lack happiness need to look for it (in this case through food).
Well, I've got news for you, Golden Corral: I'm happy without you, thank you very much. I don't need your help to find happiness.
The message also influences people who are (already) happy to doubt their happiness. "Gee, I thought I was happy, but maybe I'm not as happy as I thought. Maybe I can fix my problem with macaroni and cheese."
Finally, think about how the slogan, "Help Yourself To Happiness" feeds the consumer's fragile ego. It says you can help YOURSELF to happiness. "You are so powerful, you wealthy and wise consumer! Look at you. You are SOOOOO in charge of your destiny. Come on over to our restaurant (with your ten dollar bill) and we'll let you flex your eating muscles."
In case you haven't already figured it out, the advertising industry casts illusions. "Consume our product and you'll feel healthy, happy, powerful, and wise. Our product is the solution to your problem (whether you knew you had a problem or not)."
That's why you have to be vigilant. Take all advertising messages captive. Pay attention. Any time advertisers promise you happiness or power through the use of their products, reject the message. There is only one true source of satisfaction in life, and it can't be found in a restaurant or on a grocery store shelf.
Awww, shucks. I'm really moved. Golden Corral cares about my happiness.
Please forgive me if I sound ungrateful, but I reject this message. By suggesting that I can find happiness through its buffet line, the restaurant mistakenly assumes that I must be unhappy to begin with. People who are already happy don't need to look for happiness, right? They already have it. Only people who lack happiness need to look for it (in this case through food).
Well, I've got news for you, Golden Corral: I'm happy without you, thank you very much. I don't need your help to find happiness.
The message also influences people who are (already) happy to doubt their happiness. "Gee, I thought I was happy, but maybe I'm not as happy as I thought. Maybe I can fix my problem with macaroni and cheese."
Finally, think about how the slogan, "Help Yourself To Happiness" feeds the consumer's fragile ego. It says you can help YOURSELF to happiness. "You are so powerful, you wealthy and wise consumer! Look at you. You are SOOOOO in charge of your destiny. Come on over to our restaurant (with your ten dollar bill) and we'll let you flex your eating muscles."
In case you haven't already figured it out, the advertising industry casts illusions. "Consume our product and you'll feel healthy, happy, powerful, and wise. Our product is the solution to your problem (whether you knew you had a problem or not)."
That's why you have to be vigilant. Take all advertising messages captive. Pay attention. Any time advertisers promise you happiness or power through the use of their products, reject the message. There is only one true source of satisfaction in life, and it can't be found in a restaurant or on a grocery store shelf.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Legalism is A Killjoy
God gave mankind Ten Commandments, and then man wrote another 600+ laws into the Torah to facilitate keeping the original Ten Commandments. Why? Because having rules doesn’t guarantee that a person will be able to follow the rules.
That principle certainly applies to dieting. In the short-term, you feel great when you start a diet. But eventually, the rules and regulations of the diet rob you of your joy. Dieting sucks up all your coping energy and thoughts of food and eating occupy your mind more than they should. Thoughts about food even displace your thoughts about God.
Whether you’re talking about spiritual matters or the way you eat, legalism leads to self-judgment and self-condemnation. “I’m good if I follow the rules. I’m bad if I don’t.” That’s why my own pastor, Mark McAdow, said “Legalism is a killjoy,” in his sermon a few months ago. Legalism steals your joy.
If legalism steals your joy, what restores your joy? Real joy is found in the Lord—not the laws of dieting or even the laws of the Old Testament.
Think about the definition of grace. It means nothing that you do (whether you follow the laws or not) can make God love you more or less. He is love and He loves you no matter what. Thankfully, your value to God is not based on your ability to follow the laws.
So, the take-home message is don’t worry about what you drink or eat. Look at the birds. They don’t worry (as it says in the gospel of Matthew). Instead, focus on your Savior, eat to His glory when you feel the hunger pangs God gave you, eat to fill physical and not emotional needs, and turn to God for the rest.
That principle certainly applies to dieting. In the short-term, you feel great when you start a diet. But eventually, the rules and regulations of the diet rob you of your joy. Dieting sucks up all your coping energy and thoughts of food and eating occupy your mind more than they should. Thoughts about food even displace your thoughts about God.
Whether you’re talking about spiritual matters or the way you eat, legalism leads to self-judgment and self-condemnation. “I’m good if I follow the rules. I’m bad if I don’t.” That’s why my own pastor, Mark McAdow, said “Legalism is a killjoy,” in his sermon a few months ago. Legalism steals your joy.
If legalism steals your joy, what restores your joy? Real joy is found in the Lord—not the laws of dieting or even the laws of the Old Testament.
Think about the definition of grace. It means nothing that you do (whether you follow the laws or not) can make God love you more or less. He is love and He loves you no matter what. Thankfully, your value to God is not based on your ability to follow the laws.
So, the take-home message is don’t worry about what you drink or eat. Look at the birds. They don’t worry (as it says in the gospel of Matthew). Instead, focus on your Savior, eat to His glory when you feel the hunger pangs God gave you, eat to fill physical and not emotional needs, and turn to God for the rest.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A Blogger's Prayer
Heavenly Father, You said where two or more are gathered in Your name, You'd be in our midst. In this blog, we have more than that, so we qualify. You also said we could ask for anything in line with Your will and You'd give it to us. Knowing Your nature (You're merciful, loving, and forgiving), we believe it's in Your will to heal us of our physical, emotional, and spiritual burdens, not just as they relate to our weight, but in general. We ask for forgiveness of our sins and removal of any barrier to our receiving healing and revelation knowledge. Remove anything that was not on us when You first imagined us. Any spirit of negativity, depression, anxiety, unbelief, perfectionism---anything that You believe hurts us. And give us a spirit of openness and humility so we can receive Your revelation knowledge with open minds. We thank You in advance for the healing. Amen.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Truth, Lies, and Immortal Mexicans
On one of his recent TV broadcasts, Pastor Matthew Hagee (John's son) told a funny story. When he was three, his little sister was crying her eyes out because an elderly family member had died and gone to Heaven, and she realized the person was never coming back. She was afraid she’d die and go to Heaven, too.
To console his sister, Matthew, in his infinite three year old wisdom, put his arm around his baby sister and confidently said, “Don't worry sis, we're not Christians like daddy, we're Mexicans like mommy, and Mexicans NEVER die!” His sister stopped crying immediately and said, “Thanks, brother!”
Pastor Hagee rightfully called his words “a lie delivered with confidence.” He was talking about how we must be careful to discern the truth from the lies in this information-packed world. Just because certain information makes us feel better, we shouldn’t automatically accept it as “truth.”
How do we discern the truth from the lies in terms of our weight loss issues? I believe the answer involves recalling the nature of God as it’s demonstrated in the Bible. Is the weight loss message consistent with the nature of God? Some people confidently speak in the name of God and religion to disseminate information about how or what we should eat without checking that information against the nature of God.
In case you don’t know it, God is love, everything He does is rooted in His love for you, and He is merciful, slow to anger, and quick to forgive. He wants desperately for you to repent and return to Him, no matter what you did to separate yourself from Him. His a priori concern is to have a restored relationship with you, not to make you skinny or condemn you if you don’t eat “right.”
One diet plan went as far as to suggest that you jeopardize your salvation if you eat in such a way that’s disobedient to God. Come on! Is that consistent with the nature of God? Would God condemn you for disobedience because you ate an unnecessary donut, or would he say, “Suzie, what’s wrong? Are you sad? What was it that led you to try to find solace in a donut? Come to me and I will heal you.” I believe it’s the latter.
Please take my advice. Filter the information you hear about diet through what you know about God. Does the message bring forth the fruit of the spirit? Does it center on love and peace and joy and relationship, or does it engender fear, unfounded guilt, shame, and depression? If it’s the latter, close your ears and run the other way.
To console his sister, Matthew, in his infinite three year old wisdom, put his arm around his baby sister and confidently said, “Don't worry sis, we're not Christians like daddy, we're Mexicans like mommy, and Mexicans NEVER die!” His sister stopped crying immediately and said, “Thanks, brother!”
Pastor Hagee rightfully called his words “a lie delivered with confidence.” He was talking about how we must be careful to discern the truth from the lies in this information-packed world. Just because certain information makes us feel better, we shouldn’t automatically accept it as “truth.”
How do we discern the truth from the lies in terms of our weight loss issues? I believe the answer involves recalling the nature of God as it’s demonstrated in the Bible. Is the weight loss message consistent with the nature of God? Some people confidently speak in the name of God and religion to disseminate information about how or what we should eat without checking that information against the nature of God.
In case you don’t know it, God is love, everything He does is rooted in His love for you, and He is merciful, slow to anger, and quick to forgive. He wants desperately for you to repent and return to Him, no matter what you did to separate yourself from Him. His a priori concern is to have a restored relationship with you, not to make you skinny or condemn you if you don’t eat “right.”
One diet plan went as far as to suggest that you jeopardize your salvation if you eat in such a way that’s disobedient to God. Come on! Is that consistent with the nature of God? Would God condemn you for disobedience because you ate an unnecessary donut, or would he say, “Suzie, what’s wrong? Are you sad? What was it that led you to try to find solace in a donut? Come to me and I will heal you.” I believe it’s the latter.
Please take my advice. Filter the information you hear about diet through what you know about God. Does the message bring forth the fruit of the spirit? Does it center on love and peace and joy and relationship, or does it engender fear, unfounded guilt, shame, and depression? If it’s the latter, close your ears and run the other way.
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